Since the earliest days of man, tools have been used to increase productivity. From crude rocks which functioned as a hammer to modern day power tools, these devices aid man in a variety of ways. For example, a hammer helps provide additional force and torque, allowing a user to more efficiently fasten items together. Over the course of time, a variety of other tools have been developed to assist and speed up a user's work.
Accordingly, tools have been developed to aid in the installation of electrical wires. Traditionally, electrically conductive wires are routed to various receptacles which are attached to a dwelling by a small electrical box. To prevent fires due to an unexpected electrical overload, the wires are routed to circuit breakers which are located in a larger, centralized electrical box. To speed up the routing of the electrical wires, these electrical boxes contain removable sections known as “knockouts.” Knockouts are perforated circular pieces in electrical boxes which when removed permit insertion of wire. They are attached to the electrical box by a single tab.
To remove knockouts, workers conventionally use a hammer, a screwdriver, and pliers. The screwdriver head is placed on the knockout. A user hits the screwdriver handle with a hammer causing the perforated portion of the knockout to split from the electrical box. However, after the knockout is split, it is still attached to the electrical box by the tab. To fully remove the knockout, a pair of pliers is used to bend and twist the knockout. This loosens the knockout and eventually snaps the tab. As a result, the conventional method requires a number of tools and is time consuming as well as dangerous.
Attempts have been made to create a single tool for removing knockouts. For example, a punch-like, tool is known which has an interlocking hollow ring and cylinder. The ring portion is placed on the electrical box wall surrounding the knockout and a cylinder, which acts as a punch, is placed on the knockout. A force exerted on the tool causes the knockout to split from the electrical box. However, the tool is inefficient in that a pair of pliers is further required to snap and remove the split knockout from the tab.
Another known tool provides two jaws capable of splitting and gripping the knockout. The jaws have opposing projections. To use the tool, one projection is placed on the electrical box wall while the other is placed on the knockout. Providing force on the tool handle splits the knockout. To remove the knockout, the opposing end of the tool has an opposing end comprising ribbed ends. However, the design of the jaw prohibits the knockout from efficiently separating from the electrical box. Thus, a separate prying means is necessary to separate the knockout. Additionally, the tool is unstable because it exerts a counter rotational force on the user. As a result, the tool can easily slide out of place
Thus, what is needed is a single, well designed tool for easily and efficiently removing knockouts from electrical boxes.